My first attempt at discus keeping

[eklikewhoa]

Re: My first attempt at discus keeping

BN dont get that big either and they are probably your best bet against algae.

a lot of the smaller plecos are more ornamental.

[Brownsnoutuk]

Re: My first attempt at discus keeping

Mine actually work pretty good, the rubberlipped is the most active and the best glass cleaner i have. I think rubberlipped only get to 5-6" right?

[eklikewhoa]

Re: My first attempt at discus keeping

not sure which one you have brownsnout but here's the bulldog/rubberlip which states it grows to about 4.7"  think its a L187

http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/species.php?species_id=57

i have an L201/inspector pleco that works but nowhere near as hard as the ABN's i use to have.

[jwyde]

Re: My first attempt at discus keeping

Ok, I just read at least 200 posts on tank companions for discus.  By far, the bristle nosed pleco is the recommendation of choice.  So be it.  On to research about where to find these guys, what types there are, and price ranges.  As this New Zealand Sight says:

“Their appearance may take a little getting used to, but there will undoubtedly come a time that you will be amazed that you ever thought of them as anything other than "cute"- or, at the very least, handsome.”

[eklikewhoa]

Re: My first attempt at discus keeping

I think village had some but I'm not certain, there is a list of LFS's up in the announcements section so just go through them. I think there is a breeder here too but I'm not certain.

[naps]

Re: My first attempt at discus keeping

Aqua Zoo in Webster has BN plecos too. 8)

[Tiapan]

Re: My first attempt at discus keeping

do bristlenose do well with africans cichlids at all? or do they get picked to pieces? just wanting to make sure that is i have alge in my new tank that i can get a solution. but i am doing so many water changes that i am sure i wont have alge problem plus i have plants in there.

[Tiapan]

Re: My first attempt at discus keeping

just to clarify i have tangynika  africans

[jwyde]

Re: My first attempt at discus keeping

I’m going to take a look-see today at the Village.  I might take a trip down to Webster too if Aqua Zoo is open.  I've not been there before, so it'll be fun to check out a new place.  The take a look at this Albino Longfin Bushynose Pleco up for sale at Aquabid.com:



That’s quite the exotic fish!

[eklikewhoa]

Re: My first attempt at discus keeping

village had the long fin ABN's last time I saw but nothing like what you are showing. Sure that's what for auction? usually people post pictures of what they are suppose to look like or how the parents look like.

Tiapan, they do great in the cichlid tank! I gave 5 to a friend that keeps them with tangs and the ABN has taken on a dark yellow/orange color! Just be careful with keeping them with fronts and bigger fish like that.

[jwyde]

Re: My first attempt at discus keeping

No, that’s not *the* fish their selling.  But it is supposed to be their daddy.  Aqua Zoo’s not open on Sunday.  I stopped by the village.  They had a pleco labeled a “blue fin bristle nose.”  Looking around on the web I saw the fish by the name of a “blue seam” as well.  I think one person called it a peppermint pleco.  But really it’s hard to know if it’s the same fish.  I think it’s this guy:


 

(More info. at Planet Catfish Pleco Information)
I could find information it’s max size.  It’s head isn’t nearly as bristly as the other BN.  It’s really a beautiful fish with bluish/white spots no a dark body.  The white strips on the dorsal & tail are amazing too.  I’m going to try and find the max size, and if it is not to big, I’ll be pulling the trigger soon, unless I hear anything negative from you all.

[sproett]

Re: My first attempt at discus keeping

That's a beautiful pleco.  How much was he going for?  Let us know what you find out about them.

[jwyde]

Re: My first attempt at discus keeping

They were selling for about $10.  The were in a tank with the Violet Pleco which sold for $30 but weren’t nearly as pretty, in my opinion.  But I guess it was rare, and there are a lot of pleco collectors out there.  Ok, I found a site which says they get to a max size of 100mm (3.9").  The males have head tentacles, females do not.  They like the temp to be between 23.0-28.0°C or 73.4-82.4°F and a pH of between 6.0 - 7.0.  That will make them a great companion for the discus.

Man, I dashed that last post off quickly & it shows   .  I wish there was an edit button!  Oh well.  

By the way, at village a lot of “buy one get one” free stickers were going up while I was in there (presumably in preparation for the move).  There new target is mid to end of February for the move.  They will have sections dedicated to cichlids and discus.

They also have a lobster tank out right now with the most colorful lobsters I’ve ever seen (It looks like a calico lobster - orange, black, while).  While the display tank is for sale, the lobsters are not.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: My first attempt at discus keeping

I saw the those plecos at village and they are the blue seam plecos.

so they were putting up more stickers? on what fish tanks?

[jwyde]

Re: My first attempt at discus keeping

Unfortunately, not the blue seam plecos!  I wish I could remember all the tanks they had the stickers on, but I really can’t.  I thought they were choosing the lesser desired fish, however.  They had a lot on the schooling fresh water fish.  I didn’t check the saltwater section.